Watch the video to listen to Gary Bourlet, now one of the Membership and Engagement Leads, talk about how he helped to set up Learning Disability England.
Learning Disability England was founded in 2016.
It is a registered charity.
For a long time people with learning disabilities have not been seen or treated as equals in society.
Self-advocate Gary Bourlet tried to change this by setting up a national self-advocacy organisation called People First England.
He was supported by Housing & Support Alliance, a charity promoting good support and housing for people with learning disabilities.
But both People First England and Housing & Support Alliance wanted to do more.
They wanted to do something new.
They could see change wasn’t happening fast enough because the learning disability sector was fragmented.
People weren’t working together.
Gary and the Housing and Support Alliance brought some like minded people together to create a movement for change.
These self-advocates, families and organisations worked with Gary and the Housing and Support Alliance to build Learning Disability England.
They made this new organisation a membership organisation where people signed up to the values.
Every member would be equal, whether it was a big support provider or a self advocate, with one vote each for decisions and elections.
The Founding Members are the organisations that helped build Learning Disability England.
We are very grateful for all their support, time and funding.
Learning Disability England’s Founding Members are:
Advance
Aldingbourne Trust
Avenues Trust
BILD
Brampton
Brandon Trust
Bromford
Centre for Welfare Reform
Certitude
CHANGE
Choice Support
CMG
Connect In The North
Dimensions
Essex County Council
Essex Family Carers Network
Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities
Hft
Inclusion North
Kent County Council
KeyRing
MacIntyre
mcch
NDTi
Paradigm
Progress Housing
Reside Housing
Respond
Swanton Care
Three Cs
United Response